Students see benefits of taking AP exams

Although the month of May means one final month of high school before graduation for seniors, it's not quite a downhill slide to the finish line. The first few weeks of May find many seniors — and some juniors — preparing for and taking advanced placement exams.

AP exams are considered the culmination of the college-level work a high school student completes in an advanced placement course. The exams are created by committees of AP high school and college faculty, and assess a student's capability of achievement at the college level.

Each exam consists of a section of multiple-choice questions and a free-response section. Students who score well on the AP exams are able to receive course credit at certain universities.

"Students earn college credit if they score high enough on the AP test," said Tim Neff, the AP calculus instructor at Whitefish High School. "This saves money since they can finish college sooner. Also, students benefit by learning to prepare for a comprehensive, high-stakes exam, similar to others that they may see at the college level, such as finals, GRE, MCAT, NTE and others."

AP exams are always administered in early May and allow students to take tests in a variety of subjects, including literature and composition, chemistry, various foreign languages, studio art, calculus, U.S. politics and government, and biology.

Students are allowed to take any exam they choose, provided they have significant preparation for the certain subject. Indeed, of the four AP courses offered at Whitefish High School — biology, literature, calculus AB, and U.S. government and politics — many dedicate course work throughout the year toward preparation for the three-hour exam.

"Practice, practice, practice. Students need to know the format of the questions and how to apply specific calculus concepts to general situations," Neff said. "There's no substitute for experience. All students can benefit from the intense review and practice that goes into preparing for the AP exam."

Colleen Sullivan, the high school's AP biology instructor, agreed.

"I attempt to cover the curriculum at the best pace for the students, but with the depth and breadth of the material, this is difficult at best," she said. "Students in my AP biology class need to work hard at gaining knowledge, as it will not all be covered in class. It requires more student responsibility for their learning and understanding."

Statistically, the AP exams' analysis of a student's preparation for college is highly regarded. According to the AP Central Web site, research consistently shows that 'students who score a 3 or higher on the AP exam typically experience greater academic success in college and improved graduation rates than their non-AP student peers."

Norma MacKenzie has taught four years of AP English literature and composition at Whitefish High School. By taking the AP literature test, MacKenzie said, 'students not only gain awareness of how capable they are of thinking and writing in a timed situation but also discover how much they really understand about the written language."

Senior Maxwell Schmidt plans to take the AP exams for literature, calculus AB, U.S. government and politics, chemistry and environmental science.

"I'm taking these exams to get to 60 credit hours so I can jump right into the good dorms," Schmidt said. "Also, I want to reduce my class load in the coming years."

Schmidt agrees that the benefits of taking the AP exams are excellent.

"I think students should absolutely take AP tests," he said. "Why sit through the same class twice? It's a waste of time and money."

Regardless of whether or not students take AP exams, the benefits of enrolling in an AP course are considered by many teachers to be lasting.

"Students who want to challenge themselves and discover how capable they really are in developing knowledge should take as many AP courses as possible," MacKenzie said. "The atmosphere of an AP course is more Socratic in its approach, requiring students to be actively engaged in their own learning. Advanced placement as well as other advanced courses prepare students for the rigor of college level courses and life."